A various electrical components are mounted on a mobile body such as a vehicle. Accordingly, a wire harness is arranged to communicate electric power from a battery, a control signal from a computer, and the like to the electrical components in the vehicle. The wire harness includes a plurality of electric wire and an electric connector attached to ends of the electric wire.
The electric wire includes conductive core wire and a sheath made of insulating synthetic resin for coating the core wire. The electric wire is what is called coated electric wire. The electric wire is made by extruding insulating synthetic resin around the core wire. When carrying out the extrusion coating, coloring agent for a desired color is mixed with the synthetic resin to color the electric wire in the desired color.
The electric connector includes a conductive metal terminal and an insulating connector housing 100 as shown in FIG. 7. The metal terminal is attached to such as an end of the electric wire and connected to the core wire of the electric wire electrically. The insulating connector housing 100 is formed in a box shape, and includes a plurality of terminal-receiving chambers 101 for receiving the metal terminal.
For assembling the wire harness, firstly the metal terminal is attached to an end of the electric wire, which is previously cut to a specified length. If required, some piece of wire may be connected to the same metal terminal. Then, the metal terminal is inserted into the terminal-receiving chamber 101 of the insulating connector housing 100. Thus, the wire harness is assembled. The electric connector of the wire harness is connected to a mating connector of the electrical component, while the wire harness is routed through a vehicle and the like. The wire harness supplies specified signals or electric power to the electrical components.
When assembling the wire harness, it is necessary that the specified metal terminal be inserted into the specified terminal-receiving chamber 101. On the other hand, outer surfaces of the electric wire of the wire harness are colored in various colors for identifying a size of core wire, coating material having different characteristics such as thermostability, intended purpose; or the like. Each electric wire is distinguished from each other by changing the color of the outer surface.
Therefore, conventionally, various assembling tools (one example is shown in FIG. 7) are used for inserting the specified metal terminal into the specified mating terminal-receiving chamber 101, as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. Hei 5-92976. An assembling tool 102 as shown in FIG. 7 includes a plate-shaped tool body 103 and a plurality of marks 104. The tool body 103 is detachable from the connector housing 100.
Each mark 104 is formed on a surface of the tool body 103. Each mark 104 corresponds to each terminal-receiving chamber 101 of the connector housing 100. By attaching the tool body 103 on the connector housing 100, each mark 104 is positioned near an opening 101a of the corresponding terminal-receiving chamber 101. The mark 104 is colored in the color of the outer surface of the specified electric wire being attached to the metal terminal which is to be received by the mating terminal-receiving chamber 101 corresponding to the mark.
For inserting the metal terminal into the terminal-receiving chamber 101 using the assembling tool 102, firstly, the tool body 103 is attached on the connector housing 100. An operator inserts the metal terminal having the electric wire with the same color as the mark 104 into the terminal-receiving chamber 101 corresponding to said mark 104 sequentially. By this means, the electric connector is assembled by inserting the metal terminal into the terminal-receiving chamber 101 of the connector housing 100.
Since the tool body 103 is detachable from the connector housing 100 in the conventional assembling tool 102, some displacement between the tool body 103 and the connector housing 100 may occur. When the tool body 103 is displaced, the mark 104 is naturally displaced so that it becomes difficult to insert the specified metal terminal into the mating terminal-receiving chamber 101.
If the metal terminal is inserted into a wrong terminal-receiving chamber 101, the metal terminal is extracted and inserted into the mating terminal-receiving chamber 101. When extracting the metal terminal from the wrong terminal-receiving chamber 101, the metal terminal may be damaged. In this case, the damaged metal terminal has to be exchanged. Further, in the conventional assembling tool 102, if the tool body 103 is removed from the connector housing 100 after inserting the metal terminal into the terminal-receiving chamber 101, it cannot be verified whether the specified metal terminal has been correctly inserted into the mating terminal-receiving chamber 101 or not.
A first object of the present invention is to provide an electronic connector housing and a method for inserting a metal terminal into the electric connector housing, which can prevent the metal terminal from being inserted into a wrong terminal-receiving chamber and allow to verify whether the specified metal terminal has been inserted into the mating terminal-receiving chamber or not after removing an assembling tool which is used for said insertion. A second object of the present invention is to provide a method for marking the electronic connector housing to obtain the electronic connector housing, which can prevent the metal terminal from being inserted into a wrong terminal-receiving chamber and allow to verify whether the specified metal terminal has been inserted into the mating terminal-receiving chamber or not after removing an assembling tool which is used for said insertion.